NE Assembly elections: ECI appoints observers to monitor poll process

The Election Commission has appointed six categories of observers in three election-bound states - Tipura, Meghalaya, Nagaland - to closely monitor the poll process and related aspects.

Election officials said on Friday that to conduct the election, freely, fairly, fearlessly and inducement free, six types of observers have been appointed from among the in-service and retired IAS, IPS, IRS and other Central government officials.

They are general observers, police observers, expenditure observers, micro observers in each polling station, special observers for the special circumstances, and counting observers.

The Commission on Friday appointed three Special Observers and asked them to proceed to Tripura immediately to take stock of the situation, ensure proper deployment of the Central Armed Police Force, intensify enforcement measures and report back to the Commission. The three Special Observers are Yogendra Tripathy, retired IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, Vivek Johri, former Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh and B. Murali Kumar, IRS officer, who was Special Observer in Assembly elections of Gujarat (2022) and West Bengal (2021).

 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission would formally issue notification on Saturday for the February 16 polling in Tripura and the filling of nomination papers would start immediately. The last date of filing of nomination in Tripura is January 30 and the scrutiny of nomination papers would be done next day and the last date of withdrawal of the candidatures would be February 2.

Elections to the 60-member assemblies in Meghalaya and Nagaland would be held on February 27. Counting of votes would be held in all three states on March 2.

--IANS

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